20.2 Lb Pork Picnic - Smoke on 1 or 2 Kettles, Snake or Slow 'n Sear?

[Jon A.]

I am looking for some advice...

I am smoking a 20.2 Lb Pork Picnic for a 4th of July Cookout.  It is two pieces with one being a bit bigger than the other.  In the past, I have smoked one piece on my Performer and the other on the "Grandpa Grill" (my father's old 22" kettle from the '70's).  I would prefer to use one kettle if I can to keep things simple but I am worried that it is too much "mass" for one.  What are your thoughts?

* One grill or two?
* Snake method or Slow 'N Sear?

I will be using Weber briquettes. I am leaning towards one grill using the SNS (I think it will be easier to fit the two pieces opposite the SNS and still maintain indirect heat for the whole smoke).  The cookout is at 1:00 PM tomorrow.  I plan to start the smoke around 10:00 tonight and am hoping it will be done around 11:00 AM tomorrow.  I will wrap them in aluminum foil and towels, put them in a cooler and unwrap and pull them when I get to the cookout (which is about a half hour from my house).  I will be using a remote thermometer with one probe in each piece and a third on the grate.  I will try to keep it around 225-235 degrees throughout the cook. I will set an alarm to make sure the grate temp does not fall below ~200. I am anticipating needing to add coals when I wake up in the morning.

Thanks in advance and Happy 4th of July!

-Jon A.

[HoosierKettle]

Sounds like a good plan. I would do what you feel most comfortable with.


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[JEBIV]

I like the 1 grill SNS idea, I don't think the 20 lbs is to much for 1 22" grill

[michaelmilitello]

I'm lazy with the 22 and the SNS.  I'd smoke it till the bark sets and you get the color you want then finish it in the oven.  No re-fueling needed.  That's probably 6ish hours on smoke, which the SNS should be able to do.

[LiquidOcelot]

20 lb god damn lol i thought my 9lber was large

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[griz400]

I never seen a 20 lb butt, but, when i get em, it's usually 2 butts in a package ... I would smoke it like 6 hrs, then double wrap with foil, put meat on shiny side of foil, then put your thermometer probes in em, bring grill temp up to like 275, and get an internal temp like 203 deg.  then, break out the coleslaw ... lol, southern bbq , you always put the pulled pork on a bun, add salt and pepper, add a little bbq sauce, then a big scoop of coleslaw right on top ....

[Jon A.]

Yes, it’s two shoulders in one package.

Update:

I put the bigger shoulder on the Performer with the SnS at 10:00 last night and put the smaller one on at 10:45. I had a bit of trouble keeping the smoker below 300 (at the grate) for much of the night. I spritzed with apple cider vinegar/water and wrapped both pieces in aluminum foil around 6:30 this morning. The shoulders were around 165 at the time. The small one reached 203 around 9:20 am so I wrapped it in more foil and a towel and put it in a cooler next to the grill. It is 169 at noon so holding pretty well wrapped in the cooler. The big one doesn’t seem to want to push past 190 so I’m bumping up the heat (300-325) to see of I can get it over 200 before we have to leave at 12:30.